Review Tour of Belgium

28/05/2013

The Tour of Belgium ended with a feisty stage in the Ardennes which started and finished in Banneux. On the course were thirteen hills, among them three times La Redoute. The stage win was for Luis León Sánchez. Jürgen Roelandts became sixth. The Belgian was active in the final. After the second climb of La Redoute a group of eleven riders got company of among others Jelle Vanendert. Sánchez could stay in front, the others got caught. Four riders, with GC leader Tony Martin and world champion Philippe Gilbert set up the chase on the final ascent of La Redoute with 19 kilometers to go, but they couldn't catch the Spaniard anymore. Jürgen Roelandts jumped to the group of Martin, but on the Côte de Banneux he lost a few meters and arrived as sixth.

It was a successful stage race for Lotto Belisol in our own country with two victories of André Greipel. Those wins, on the first and second day, were preceded by strong teamwork. The German takes home the points jersey. Jürgen Roelandts is the first Lotto Belisol rider in the GC, he has become 8th at 1'44" of overall winner Tony Martin, who won last year as well.

Jürgen Roelandts: "In the beginning I didn't feel quite good, but it got better. The rainy weather was in my advantage. I gave everything I had, unfortunately I lost ground on the final climb, but I had used a lot of strength in bridging the gap. When I made the jump I thought about the stage win. I was able to improve my classification, if I could have stayed in that group I would have become fifth. Now I'm eighth. It was a successful race for the team, with a stage win on the first and second day and I got a place in the top ten of the GC. Yesterday it could have ended better for us. We have proven the sprint train is alright and getting a victory which it is very important."